


Like a Puzzle

by thewakeless



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: 2020 fic, Domestic, Established Relationship, Fluffy, M/M, Quarantine, Smut, dan is wearing the cat shirt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-25
Updated: 2020-04-25
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:40:59
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,802
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23843899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thewakeless/pseuds/thewakeless
Summary: Phil is terrible at doing puzzles, luckily there are other ways to please his boyfriend.
Relationships: Dan Howell/Phil Lester
Comments: 3
Kudos: 113





	Like a Puzzle

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks @lovestillaround for betaing <3

“This is your big plan?” says Phil as he pulls out a shiny rectangular box from within the amazon packaging. 

“Yeah,” says Dan as he sits on the fluffy white carpet next to him in his Star Wars pajamas, curly hair tousled. Phil crosses his legs and sits next to him. This is one of his favorite spots in the house, cozy, and full of good memories (many of them food based). It’s here that they devour their domino’s feasts, and all the dishes in their extravagant indian nights, and it’s almost strange to him to see the table full of something other than Dan's ridiculous amount of dips.

When Dan had announced that he had purchased a new hobby for them to enjoy during the quarantine, Phil had assumed he meant a video game (or perhaps a sex toy), he did not expect an old fashion 1000-piece _puzzle_. He holds the box with apprehension and looks at the image on the cover. It’s a famous painting depicting a woman (maybe a goddess) naked on a shell with floating figures around her. “You want us to do a puzzle?”

Dan laughs. “Don’t say it like that! It’s gonna be fun! We’ll put on a playlist and chat.”

“Oh, because we don’t talk enough,” says Phil sarcastically. Still, even if the puzzle isn’t his favorite thing, it’s nice to see Dan wanting to try something new. He dusts off the white coffee table while Dan makes them coffee. The smell of it permeates pleasantly through the lounge, and when Dan comes back holding the two coffee cups, he leans over and kisses him. 

“There’s nothing you find more erotic than me handing you coffee, is there?”

“Probably not.”

He sits back and takes his first sip as Dan daintily takes the box into his hands and uses an x-acto knife to open it. “I was thinking this could be our morning routine. You know, after we eat and finish a couple anime episodes we could come here and work on the puzzle.”

“Sure,” he says. He knows how much having a routine has helped Dan’s mental health, and now their usual routine has been disrupted, he’s happy that Dan’s finding a way to make a new one. “But I’m gonna be crap at this, you know how bad my eyesight is.”

Dan rolls his eyes. “Grandpa! That’s exactly what you have glasses for. Your problem isn’t your eyesight, it’s that you have no patience.”

“Ah!” Phil puts on a look of mock outrage. “I do too!”

Dan gives him a squinty look that highlights his dimples. “Do you? Do you really?”

“I do!” he insists. 

“When have you ever had any patience for anything?” Dan says as he pulls open the box to reveal a clear plastic bag full of puzzle pieces. “You finish half your popcorn before the movie starts, at fancy restaurants you order dessert before the main course, half the time I’m in the shower you jump on me cause you know I’m all drippy and naked – not that I’m complaining mind you-” he adds quickly as he uses the knife again to open the bag, spilling all the puzzle pieces into the box. 

Phil bites his lip. He could easily say that he was damn patient waiting 10 years for Dan to come out of the closet, but there’s no need to rub that in his face. “I’m patient waiting to use the bathroom when you’re in there for three hours,” he says instead. 

Dan rolls his eyes. “That hardly counts, anyhow you take just as long.”

Phil is about to retort when Dan tells him to help sort the pieces. 

Dan has a system in mind for the puzzle making. He wants them first to build the edge of the puzzle (an easier feat than the rest of it since those pieces have a straight edge) and then from there to color code the rest of pieces to match each of the figures in the painting. He puts on Desafio by Arca as they start, the shuffle and movements of the pieces mingling with her airy vocals.

He watches Dan carefully as they work. Watches the way he systematically searches and arranges his pieces. He does more watching than actually helping, which Dan apparently finds “unhelpful” as he throws a pillow at him and tells him to get back to work. But watching Dan is just more fun for Phil. The actual puzzling he isn’t that big a fan of. For one, it hurts his neck and his back (maybe he is growing old). For another, it’s difficult for him to tell when the pieces fit together, and when they almost fit together.

“Phil, you made a mistake,” says Dan as he pulls apart two deceptive pieces that Phil had thought went together. 

“They look like they fit.”

“But there’s a gap, right here,” he says pointing to it, his nail glittery black. 

They continue working for an hour or so, by which time Phil has done so many fake yawns that Dan gets the message. “Mario Kart?” he suggests as he gets up to turn off the music.

Every single morning that week they work on the puzzle. The routine sets in, and he loves seeing how much comfort Dan derives from this. They watch two episodes of anime with toast and fruits, then make coffee and do the puzzle while listening to music. He still finds himself making mistakes and a couple times accidentally mixing up Dan’s neat piles which gets him adorablye irate. However, he likes the opportunity to listen to music together and also to watch Dan so focused on a single task. 

There is something about seeing him carefully picking out the pieces, examining their coloring, placing them (oh so gently) together against the table, and rotating or moving them to attach to bigger section that Phil finds absolutely mesmerizing. He wishes he didn’t have to contribute at all and could just watch him be detailed and pretty, but when he does this, Dan glares at him over his shoulder and tells him to contribute in his bossiest voice. 

On Saturday, he finds that Dan looks particularly good. That night they had both slept naked, and in the morning Dan just put on his infamous astronaut cat shirt, not bothering with sweatpants (or underwear). “You’re kidding, right?” he says as they head to the kitchen together.

Dan yawns sleepily. “What do you mean?”

“You’re half naked,” he says, pulling the shirt up to reveal his plump white ass as if to prove his point. 

“Problem with that, mate?”

“Absolutely none, but how the hell am I supposed to concentrate?”

Dan turns around and kisses the tip of his nose. “You’ve seen me fully naked millions of times, surely this is not that big of a distraction.”

But it definitely is. It’s all he can think about while Dan makes them buttered toast moving around the kitchen, the end of the t-shirt swishing and occasionally revealing a bit of his ass. When they sit down to watch My Hero Academia, he keeps glancing over at his crotch, to the point that Dan (rolling his eyes and laughing) puts a cushion over it and tells him to: “Focus on the bloody anime, not my dick.”

And it’s damn right impossible to focus during the puzzle making. Dan is all flushed and pink from his coffee, in that ridiculous big shirt, sitting crossed legged on the carpet, his long legs bare and just daring him to bury his face between them. “Come on, Phil, you’re not even trying!” says Dan poking him hard on the shoulder. 

“I am trying!” he says as he leans over the table and tries to find two pieces that might possibly fit together. 

Love me for life is playing rhythmic and familiar since Dan has spent the last 9 months obsessed with the whole of Ginger. He moves a few of the white pieces that make up the shell around, trying to find two that fit together. His fingers move clumsily over the pieces, and without meaning to do it, his eyes drift off to Dan again. He’s on his knees, carefully moving a big section of skin colored tiles (the legs of the floating angels) towards the border. He gives a triumphant whoop when he manages to connect them and then beams into a showstopping smile. 

Phil can feel himself hardening and leans over the table to try to hide it. “Good job.”

Dan turns his beaming smile towards him. “Thank you! See, this is so much fun.”

Phil shuffles closer to him and looks at the progress his partner has made. He finished most of the border by himself, and the right bottom side of the painting is coming together very nicely. By comparison, his own progress is negligible, all he’s managed to complete is half a shell. “You’re really good at this,” he says putting an arm around Dan and kissing his cheek. 

Dan flushes and leans into his body, as always grateful for the praise. His hands go back to the puzzle, and he carefully pushes together two more pieces that slide in instantly. Phil must be pretty damn horny at this point, because that does _something_ for him. He finds his hands also going to the pieces, tracing the trajectory of Dan’s fingertips. They begin working together, Dan giggling every time Phil tries two pieces that clearly have no business with each other. 

“You’re doing it wrong!” he huffs. “They’re not even the same shade, look-“ he says, pulling them up to the light. 

Phil can’t tell much of a difference between them, but he does like the way that Dan scooted himself between Phil’s legs, allowing his arms to go around him. “You see these two,” he says, pointing his black nail at two pieces. “They look about right, you try them.” Phil moves his pale finger over the pieces and finds that just as Dan indicated, they are perfect for each other. 

“Told you! Doesn’t that feel satisfying?”

“Yeah, actually it does,” he says as Dan’s fingers work another few. 

He is leaning forward, and positioned slightly behind him Phil can see his collarbone and bare chest from the gap that the t-shirt forms. It is mesmerizing to think that underneath one (very thin) piece of fabric Dan is entirely naked. And there are so many fun things to do when Dan is naked. Phil licks his lips. He knows that Dan is talking, but he lost the train of the conversation. His hands are still on the table, and he tries to help him piece a few more things together, but his eyes keep wandering over to his neck. 

Dan loves getting kissed in the neck, and Phil loves giving it to him. He loves knowing how sensitive he is, how much one little touch or peck can affect him. It gives him the greatest sense of power and of pleasure to know that such a small gesture can have such a large effect. 

He leans over the table, investigating several of the pieces carefully, trying to see which one of them could potentially fit with an oddly shaped piece Phil is holding. This angle pushes the shirt out even more, and Phil finds himself craning his neck to see as much of him as he can. His left hand moves away from the pieces and goes to Dan’s thigh, feeling the soft warmth of the skin, just above the t-shirt. 

Dan makes no response to this, maybe he doesn’t even notice as he rotates a piece around, trying it unsuccessfully several times. Phil strokes this thigh, moving his fingertips in a circular motion, and slightly (just slightly) pushing the t-shirt. Dan doesn’t say anything to this gesture either, but the gap between his legs widens which is all the invitation that Phil could have asked for. 

For a minute or so he keeps caressing his skin, watching as he fails time and time again to find the perfect match for the oddly shaped green tile. His other hand moves away from the puzzle and caresses Dan’s side. He can feel his body melt into him, into their familiarity, into their own little routines. When he does lean down to kiss his neck he does so lightly, barely gracing the skin, still the response is immediate. His legs part, and he turns his head on his side, giving Phil all the access he could want.

He trails slow kisses, not giving him too much. He starts at his jaw and then works his way down, his hands moving to either one of his thighs, just below the t-shirt. He can hear Dan trying the pieces over one of Flume’s complex instrumentals, his breathing growing heavier, occasional low moans escaping him. “Baby,” he whispers as he detaches himself from his neck. 

“Yeah?” Dan’s voice is lower than usual. 

“I want you to keep working, okay?” he says, giving his neck another kiss. “Can you do that?”

“Yeah…” there’s a hint of uncertainty in his voice, of weakness, but both of them know that he will do as he is told. 

“Good,” Phil kisses his neck properly, passionately, and Dan gives a moan with the same sentiment, his hips moving forward, asking for it. 

Phil continues kissing him relentlessly as Dan moans and tries to grind on him. His hands are still on the pieces though, trying to work them together, trying to concentrate. Phil doesn’t know why, but that turns him on so much. His hands slide up Dan’s thigh, bringing the fabric up with them till it is bunched up above his dick. Dan gives another moan at this, and Phil imagines that his face is pink and that his eyelashes are fluttering. 

“You’re so fucking pretty, Dan,” he says sucking at his earlobe. 

“You can – you can’t even see my face-“ says Dan breathily. 

“I’ve seen it enough to know,” he continues kissing his neck. “I can imagine exactly what you look like right now, and it drives me absolutely crazy.” He pulls the fabric off his shoulder and continues his trail of kissing. 

“What do I look like?”

“Like you’d die if I stopped.” Instead of laughing Dan gives another moan, Phil’s hands are caressing closer and closer to his cock. “Don’t worry,” he says kissing him again and biting the skin slightly until he hears Dan moan again. “I’m not stopping for anything in the world.”

As he says this, he finally moves his hand to Dan’s cock, wrapping his fingers around it. Dan moves forward a little, and he hears him drop a puzzle piece onto the table. He moves his hands slowly, wetting his fingers with Dan’s precum, alternating his neck kissing with licking. “Work on the puzzle, baby,” he instructs. 

He watches as Dan’s hands fumble between the pieces, his fingers are shaking, and he’s trying to fit things in together that even Phil can tell don’t make any sense together. He smiles as he continues his work, one of his hands circling Dan’s thigh, the other pumping him leisurely, enjoying the feel of his skin, the warmth of him, the way his cock pulses every time he bites him. 

“Phiiiil,” Dan moans, throwing his head back into his shoulder and pushing his hips up to meet his hand. 

Phil kisses his lips, as always magnetized to them. His hand begins moving faster, and he rubs his thumb over his head which makes Dan bite at his lip. He can feel the work up in his entire body, the tenseness, the want. And this is the thing that Phil has never had with anyone else, and that Dan (even their first time together) never failed to give him, total trust, total submission. 

He deepens the kiss and tightens the hold on his cock, and the next moment he feels Dan's orgasm wash over both of them. Jizz sticks in the palm of his hand and drips from between his fingers, and Dan pushes his entire weight against him, nestling his head against his shoulders, his eyes closed, angelic. Phil pumps him a couple of more times, and just holds him as he softens. He kisses his curls. 

“I like this puzzle idea, Dan,” he says. 

Dan gives a laugh. “I thought you would.”

He stays relaxed against him, and Phil is always surprised how small he can make himself seem, as if he was still that scared 18-year-old he met and not the beautiful 28-year-old he is. He pulls his cum-free arm around him and presses him closer. Dan gives a contented little sigh in response, and it is the most beautiful sound Phil has ever heard. 


End file.
